Some school districts allow teachers to ban students from recess as a disciplanary action and Florida lawmakers are seriously considering making it illegal to do so.

As reported by The Miami Herald

lawmakers are once again contemplating making daily recess mandatory in public elementary schools. The provision was removed from this years legislation (SB78/HB67) at the request of two Republican House members who were the only ones to oppose it last year.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran and Miami Representative Michael Bileca, the education policy chairman said teachers should be able to withhold recess.

Corcoran (R-Land O’Lakes) said:

We shouldn’t be tying the hands of good teachers. They should have all the tools necessary to do their jobs effectively, and I trust them to balance the need for activity with achieving educational excellence for every child.

National health experts contradict what Corcoran and Bileca say. They say withholding recess is “both inappropriate and unsound” to children.

Senior program manager for the Society of Health and Physical Education, Michelle Carter also said:

We want children to have as many positive experiences around physical activity as they can. Taking away recess is only considered to be like a ‘quick fix’ by behavioral experts; it’s not something that’s really, permanently, going to solve a behavioral issue that’s going on with a student.